An oven wherein liquid contact to the control unit is prevented

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an oven comprising an outer body; a cooking chamber wherein the cooking process is performed; a casing in the form of a box with the front side open; a control unit whereon the electronic members are provided, and a ventilation duct that is disposed at the upper portion of the cooking chamber and that has an outlet port that opens to the outer environment. The oven further comprises a grating that is disposed to the outlet port, and a chamber that is disposed at the rear wall of the outer body so as to be under the grating. The liquid that is generated by the condensation of the hot air that comes out of the ventilation duct on the grating is prevented from contacting the control unit by accumulating in the chamber.

The present invention relates to an oven wherein liquid contact to thecontrol unit is prevented.

In ovens, the cooking process is generally performed by operatingtogether the heaters and the fan disposed in the cooking chamber. Inovens, the hot and humid air generated during the cooking process isenabled to be discharged by means of a ventilation duct that is disposedat the upper portion of the casing that surrounds the cooking chamber.The hot air is discharged to the outer environment by getting outthrough a grating that is disposed to the outlet port of the ventilationduct. However, when the hot air contacts the colder grating surfaces,condensation occurs on the surfaces of the grating. The condensed liquidflows towards the interior of the oven from the grating in the course oftime and contacts the control unit wherein the electronic components areprovided. In this case, the control unit malfunctions and causes theoven not to operate.

In the state of the art U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,508, an oven is disclosed,wherein the air flow passing through the exhaust opening is adjusted bymeans of a valve that is disposed on the exhaust opening.

The aim of the present invention is the realization of an oven that isenabled to be operated in a safe manner by preventing the liquid contactto the control unit thereof.

The oven realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention,explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof,comprises an outer body; a cooking chamber wherein the cooking processis performed; a casing in form of a box with the front side open, thatsurrounds the cooking chamber; a control unit whereon the electronicmembers are provided and that is disposed at the rear wall of the outerbody so as to be between the outer body and the casing, and aventilation duct that is disposed at the upper portion of the cookingchamber and that has an outlet port that opens to the outer environment.The foodstuff desired to be cooked is placed into the cooking chamberfrom the open front side of the casing. The foodstuff is cooked byheating the cooking chamber by means of a heater.

The oven of the present invention comprises

-   -   a grating that is disposed to the outlet port, and    -   a chamber that is disposed at the rear wall of the outer body so        as to be under the grating.

The hot air discharged from the cooking chamber is delivered to theoutlet port by passing through the ventilation duct and discharged tothe outer environment by passing through the holes of the grating thatis produced from perforated sheet metal.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the oven comprises aprotective cover that is disposed at the rear wall of the outer body,and the chamber one end of which bears against the protective cover whenthe protective cover is placed on the outer body. In this embodiment,the width of the chamber is equal to the distance between the protectivecover and the outer body. Thus, the chamber contacts the protectivecover so that no gap remains therebetween when the protective cover isplaced on the outer body.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the chamber has a basethat extends from the protective cover towards the outer body in aninclined manner. In this embodiment, the base of the chamber extendsfrom the protective cover towards the outer body with a downwardinclination. Thus, the volume of the portion of the chamber that facesthe cooking chamber and the ventilation duct is increased. Thus, moreliquid is kept in the hot portion of the oven, thus the evaporation fromthe chamber is improved.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the oven comprises atleast one opening that is positioned on the protective cover so as to behigher than the chamber. The vapor rising from the chamber is dischargedto the outer environment through the grating and the opening.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the chamber has theV-shaped base that extends from the side surfaces of the chamber to thecenter of the chamber in an inclined manner. Thus, the drops forming onthe grating move by sliding on the inclined surface of the base and thedrops are prevented from coming out of the chamber by splattering fromthe base.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the oven comprises thechamber that has an equal length with the grating and that extends alongthe width of the outer body. The side surfaces of the chamber contactthe side surfaces of the outer body. Thus, the liquid that flows fromthe edges of the grating is enabled to be accumulated in the chamber.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the chamber is producedfrom metal material. In this embodiment, the chamber is produced frommetal sheet plate by being bent.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the chamber comprises atleast one discharge hole that is disposed at the side wall thereof. Bymeans of the discharge hole, the liquid overflowing from the chamber isenabled to be discharged from the side surface of the chamber by passingthrough the discharge hole in a controlled manner. Thus, the overflowingliquid is enabled to be discharged without contacting the control unitthat is positioned at the rear wall of the outer body by being centered.

By means of the present invention, an oven is realized, wherein theliquid that is generated by the condensation of the hot air that comesout of the ventilation duct on the grating is prevented from contactingthe control unit by accumulating in the chamber. The control unit isprevented from malfunctioning by preventing the contact thereof with theliquid and the oven is enabled to be operated without malfunctioning.

The oven realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention isillustrated in the attached figures, where:

FIG. 1—is the perspective view of an oven.

FIG. 2—is the rear perspective view of the oven in an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3—is the sideways schematic view of the oven in an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 4—is the partial perspective view of the oven in an embodiment ofthe present invention.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

-   -   1. Oven    -   2. Outer body    -   3. Cooking chamber    -   4. Casing    -   5. Control unit    -   6. Outlet port    -   7. Ventilation duct    -   8. Grating    -   9. Chamber    -   10. Protective cover    -   11. Discharge hole    -   12. Opening

The oven (1) comprises an outer body (2); a cooking chamber (3) whereinthe cooking process is performed; a casing (4) in the form of a box withthe front side open, that surrounds the cooking chamber (3); a controlunit (5) whereon the electronic members are provided and that isdisposed at the rear wall of the outer body (2) so as to be between theouter body (2) and the casing (4), and a ventilation duct (7) that isdisposed at the upper portion of the cooking chamber (3) and that has anoutlet port (6) that opens to the outer environment (FIG. 1 and FIG. 2).

The oven (1) of the present invention comprises

-   -   a grating (8) that is disposed to the outlet port (6), and    -   a chamber (9) that is disposed at the rear wall of the outer        body (2) so as to be under the grating (8).

During the operation of the oven (1), the foodstuff placed into thecooking chamber (3) is enabled to be cooked by heating the cookingchamber (3) by means of a heater. The vapor that disperses into thecooking chamber (3) from the foodstuff during the cooking process isdischarged to the outer environment by passing through the ventilationduct (7) by means of the grating (8) that is disposed at the outlet port(6). The hot vapor that is discharged to the outer environment generateswater drops by condensing on the surface of the grating (8). The waterdrops generated on the grating (8) are accumulated in the chamber (9)that is disposed under the grating (8). The liquid accumulated in thechamber (8) is vaporized again by the heat that is discharged from thecooking chamber (3) and the ventilation duct (6).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the oven (1) comprises aprotective cover (10) that is disposed at the rear wall of the outerbody (2) and a chamber (9) one end of which bears against the protectivecover (10) when the protective cover (10) is placed on the outer body(2). The protective cover (10) prevents access to the control unit (5)by covering the rear wall of the outer body (2). The end, that extendsoutwards from the outer body (2), of the chamber (9) disposed at therear wall of the outer body (2) contacts the protective cover (10) whenthe protective cover (10) is placed. Thus, the area remaining under thegrating (8) is enabled to be closed in a leak-proof manner and all theliquid that flows from the grating (8) is accumulated in the chamber (9)(FIG. 4).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the chamber (9) has abase that extends towards the outer body (2) from the protective cover(10) in an inclined manner. By means of the inclined shape of the base,the liquid that flows to the chamber (9) from the grating (8) is enabledto be accumulated in the portion of the chamber (9) that is close to thecooking chamber (3) and the ventilation duct (7), and the liquid that isaccumulated in the chamber (9) is collected in the hot portion of theoven (1). Thus, the liquid that is collected in the chamber (9) isenabled to be vaporized by the heat that is discharged from the cookingchamber (3) and the ventilation duct (7).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the oven (1) comprisesat least one opening (12) that is positioned on the protective cover(10) so as to be higher than the chamber (9). The vapor that isgenerated as a result of the vaporization process that is realized bythe heat that is delivered to the chamber (9) from the cooking chamber(3) and the ventilation duct (7) is removed from the environment bybeing discharged from the opening (12) that opens to the outerenvironment (FIG. 4).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the chamber (9) has theV-shaped base that extends from the side surfaces of the chamber (9) tothe center of the chamber (9) in an inclined manner. Thus, more liquidis enabled to be stored in the chamber (9) by increasing the depth ofthe chamber (9). Moreover, by means of the V-shape, the liquid thatflows from the grating (8) is prevented from overflowing from thechamber (9) by splattering after hitting the base of the chamber (9).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the oven (1) comprisesthe chamber (9) that has the same length as the grating (8) and thatextends along the width of the outer body (2). In this embodiment, thelength of the chamber (9) is equal to the length of the grating (8).Thus, the chamber (9) fully covers the area under the grating (8) whenplaced to the rear wall of the outer body (2).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the chamber (9) isproduced from metal material. The chamber (9) is produced from metalmaterial so that the structure of the chamber (9) that is positioned inthe hot portion of the oven (1) is prevented from being damaged by theheat that the chamber (9) is subjected to.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the chamber (9)comprises at least one discharge hole (11) that is disposed at the sidewall thereof. In case the amount of the liquid that is delivered to thechamber (9) from the grating (8) is more than the volume of the chamber(9), the liquid that overflows from the chamber (9) is discharged fromthe side surface of the chamber (9) by means of the discharge hole (11).Thus, the liquid that overflows from the chamber (9) is enabled to bedischarged from the sides of the outer body (4) without contacting thecontrol unit (5).

In the oven (1) of the present invention, the liquid that condenses onthe grating (8) disposed to the outlet port (6) of the ventilation duct(7) is accumulated in a chamber (9) and thus, the liquid is preventedfrom contacting the control unit (5). Thus, an oven (1) is realizedwherein the safe use is enabled.

1. An oven comprising an outer body; a cooking chamber wherein thecooking process is performed; a casing in the form of a box with thefront side open, that surrounds the cooking chamber; a control unitwhereon the electronic members are provided and that is disposed at therear wall of the outer body so as to be between the outer body and thecasing, and a ventilation duct that is disposed at the upper portion ofthe cooking chamber and that has an outlet port that opens to the outerenvironment, characterized by a grating that is disposed to the outletport, and a chamber that is disposed at the rear wall of the outer bodyso as to be under the grating.
 2. The oven as in claim 1, characterizedby a protective cover that is disposed at the rear wall of the outerbody and a chamber one end of which bears against the protective coverwhen the protective cover is placed on the outer body.
 3. The oven as inclaim 2, characterized by the chamber that has a base that extendstowards the outer body from the protective cover in an inclined manner.4. The oven as in claim 2, characterized by at least one opening that ispositioned on the protective cover so as to be higher than the chamber.5. The oven as in claim 1, characterized by the chamber that has theV-shaped base that extends from the side surfaces of the chamber to thecenter of the chamber in an inclined manner.
 6. The oven as in claim 1,characterized by the chamber that has the same length as the grating andthat extends along the width of the outer body.
 7. The oven as in claim1, characterized by the chamber that is produced from metal material. 8.The oven as in claim 1, characterized by at least one discharge holethat is disposed at the side wall of the chamber.